THE sole survivor of an horrific car crash has told of her relief that the man convicted of causing the deaths of four of her family members, has had his appeal against his conviction thrown out.

The Court of Appeal last week ruled the four-year sentence handed to Gordon Dyche for four counts of causing the death by careless driving, was “appropriate”, and rejected the 25-year-old’s claim he was sentenced too harshly.

Dyche was handed the sentence at Caernarfon Crown in August this year, more than a year after he clipped Denise Griffith’s car while trying to overtake, sending it careering into Llyn Clywedog, near Llanidloes.

The fateful move had devastating consequences for the Griffith family – claiming the lives of Denise’s husband Emyr Griffith, 66, her mother Phyllis Hooper, 84, and teenaged foster sons, Peter Briscome and Liam Govier, both 14.

Speaking from her home near Pontypridd town centre at the weekend, following the failed appeal, Mrs Griffith said she was pleased to know Dyche would have to serve the time handed down to him and was unlikely to ever drive again.

“I’ve never felt anything against this guy at all – it’s not like he got up that day and set out to do it,” she said.

“But when he stood up in court and told so many lies and tried to make himself out to be a hero, I was really, really angry.

“But he was given as much as he could be given for careless driving, and I’m just relieved he will have to serve that sentence.

“More than anything, I’m glad that he will never drive legally again.

“He will be banned for four years when he’s released, but in reality who’s going to insure him now?

“He only had his licence back for 17 days at the time of the crash, so I can’t see him ever getting insurance again, and that’s my biggest comfort.”

While sharing her relief that the appeal was rejected, Mrs Griffith revealed she still feels she will never get closure following the accident.

She added: “If his appeal was upheld, we never would have got any closure. We still haven’t got it now – I just want to get the inquests over with because it’s just ongoing. We haven’t even registered the deaths yet, and it’s been nearly two years.